Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is the story of a mistreated orphan who learns to rise above her adversities by relying on God's grace and the intelligent and independent spirit He has given her. The path of Jane's life is lined with temptations and difficulties: her desires war with her conscience and her faith is sorely tested. But though Jane sorrows, she is not broken. She learns and grows, and she rises above life's storm.

Jane's first ten years are unhappy ones. She is raised in the home of her aunt where she is unloved and despised. After a passionate outcry against her condition, Jane is sent to a charitable institution where she lives for the next eight years. She moves up through the classes and eventually becomes a teacher. At 18, Jane moves on, finally finding happiness as governess at Thornfield Hall, but her love for Mr. Rochester, and his for her, may never be realized when his past comes back to haunt him. A moving story of moral convictions, self-respect, grief, and finally—joy.